Steam (Ty Herndon song)

"Steam"
Single by Ty Herndon
from the album Steam
B-side	"Lookin' for the Good Life"
Released	August 9, 1999
Genre	Country
Length	3:37
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Lewis Anderson Bob Regan
Producer(s)	Joe Scaife
Ty Herndon singles chronology
"Hands of a Working Man" (1999) "Steam" (1999) "No Mercy" (2000)

"Steam" is a song written by Lewis Anderson and Bob Regan, and recorded by American country music artist Ty Herndon. It was released in August 1999 as the lead single and title track from his album Steam. The song reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 19 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.[1]

Background

Herndon told Billboard that he originally had doubts about the song. "That is so not me, I'm so used to doing songs with a message to them. [Anthony Martin] told me, 'Well you're going to have to take a step back and make it you.'" He went on to call the song "one of those you put in your car CD player and let the windows down, it makes you feel alive and feel good. Sometimes you've got to just have a little fun."[2]

Reception

Maria Konicki Dinoia wrote for Allmusic that the song is part of a "feel-good music" album, and described its lyrics as suggestive.[3] Dan MacIntosh from Country Standard Time highlighted the song along with Herndon's cover version of "You Can Leave Your Hat On", originally by Randy Newman.[4] Craig Powers, program director of KIKF Los Angeles, described the song as "a sexy, provocative song [...] one that the audience goes nuts over".[2]

Music video

The music video was directed by Steven Goldmann and premiered in mid-1999.

Chart performance

"Steam" debuted at number 63 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of August 21, 1999.

Chart (1999-2000)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5]	19
US Billboard Hot 100[6]	83
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[7]	18

References

1. Ty Herndon Hot Country Songs Chart History
2. Taylor, Chuck (December 18, 1999). "Country's Ty Herndon Heats Up Image With Hot Epic Nashville Single 'Steam'". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 51. p. 92. ISSN 0006-2510.
3. Dinoia, Maria Konicki. "Steam – Ty Herndon". Allmusic. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
4. MacIntosh, Dan. "Steam (Sony, 1999)". Country Standard Time. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
5. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 10016." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. January 10, 2000. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
6. "Ty Herndon Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
7. "Ty Herndon Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.